High winds knock out power across state

Gusting winds knocked out power for thousands of homes and businesses across Michigan Friday.
As of late afternoon Friday, DTE Energy Co. reported 12,000 of its customers are without power, with outages scattered from Monroe north to the Thumb. At noon Friday, 6,000 customers were without power, including 2,600 in the Walled Lake area and 1,200 out in the Clawson vicinity, said DTE Energy spokeswoman Erica Donerson. The majority were restored by 4 p.m. Friday.

Customers lost power after midnight. One Oakland Press reader said her power went off at 3 a.m. in Milford.

The National Weather Service in White Lake reported Pontiac had a 48 mph wind gust at 2:13 a.m. Another gust was recorded in Troy at 37 mph.

“We saw widespread strong winds across the area,” said Heather Orow, meterologist. “Winds will be decreasing through the day.”

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The winds were caused by a strong low pressure system and cold front moving through the area, she said.

CMS Energy Corp.’s Consumers Energy unit says more than 14,000 of its customers are without power.

Restoration times are expected to be affected by the weather, with winds continuing Friday. It followed a wet and windy Halloween.

A posting on the Gull Lake Schools’ website in southwestern Michigan says the district was closed Friday because of power outages.

In Augusta, which also was hard hit by high winds, MLive.com reports Galesburg-Augusta Middle School is closed Friday.